A CPON includes an OLT for transmitting a downstream signal to a plurality of remote ONUs. The downstream signal includes a first data subcarrier and a second subcarrier adjacent the first subcarrier, and a first communication subcarrier between the first and second subcarriers. The CPON further includes a first ONU having a first ONU receiver for receiving the first data subcarrier from the downstream optical signal within a first channel bandwidth, and a first ONU transmitter for transmitting a first upstream signal to the OLT within the first channel bandwidth. The CPON further includes a second ONU having a second ONU receiver for receiving the second data subcarrier from the downstream optical signal within a second channel bandwidth, and a second ONU transmitter for transmitting a second upstream signal to the OLT within the second channel bandwidth. The first communication subcarrier includes OAM management data and/or MAC layer control information.